A roundtable meeting was held at the National Press Club on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day 2025, initiated by UCEP Bangladesh. “The discussion organized with the theme of empowering youth through artificial intelligence and digital skills was attended by government officials, academicians, industry leaders, youth representatives and development partners.
The event was presided over by Dr. Obaidur Rob, Chairperson, UCEP Board of Governors. Mr. Md. Rezaul Maksud Zahedi, Secretary, Local Government Division was present as the chief guest. Mr. Fatema Jahan, Joint Secretary, Technical and Madrasa Education Division, Ministry of Education was present as the special guest. The inaugural address was delivered by Dr. Md. Abdul Karim, Executive Director of UCEP Bangladesh.
The roundtable discussion was attended by Mr. Uzma Chowdhury, Vice Chairperson, UCEP Board of Governors, Mr. Hasan Hafiz, President, National Press Club, Dhaka, Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Director General, BIHS General Hospital, Dr. Engineer Md. Sakawat Ali, Principal, Dhaka Technical Teachers Training Institute and dignitaries.
The speakers in the discussion said that by acquiring future-oriented skills, especially through artificial intelligence, digital literacy and entrepreneurship development training, youth can be the driving force for peace and development in the society. The issue of inclusive skill development of backward and disadvantaged youth was also discussed with importance.
Dr. Karim said, “Skills are not only for employment, there is no alternative to technical education for building a peaceful and sustainable society. Preparing youth with technology-based skills is essential for Bangladesh’s smart development journey.”
The discussion was attended by senior officials of UCEP Bangladesh, leading private sector institutions, representatives of youth organizations and UCEP alumni. The main topics of the discussion were strengthening public-private partnerships, ensuring gender equality in technical education, and including dropout and marginalized youth in the digital economy. The chief guest, Mr. Zahedi, highly appreciated UCEP’s role in providing inclusive technical education and decent employment.
At the end of the discussion, the participants emphasized on strengthening coordination between relevant government departments, the private sector and civil society, so that the skill development process is more inclusive, adaptable and future-ready.
